Formation agents: do not advertise a COGS you cannot issue

11 November 2026

A company formation agent can help a client request and coordinate a Certificate of Good Standing, but it should not advertise a certificate it cannot issue or promise that a foreign recipient will accept. Clear scope protects the client and the agent.

This Advice Centre guide is practical document information, not legal advice, an immigration opinion, a banking decision or a promise of foreign acceptance. Ask the named recipient for its current written checklist before ordering.

Short answer

A COGS is an official document tied to the company’s Companies House record and the relevant issuing route. An agent’s order form, letter or branded report is not a COGS simply because it summarises a company. Describe what you arrange, what the official fee covers, what the service fee covers and what remains for the bank, authority, translator or legalisation office to decide.

Use the right product name

Do not call a company search, filing-history printout or internally generated certificate a Certificate of Good Standing. State whether you are ordering an official Companies House certificate, obtaining a certified copy, coordinating an apostille or supplying an administrative pack. If the product has limits, include those before checkout.

Check the company before taking payment

Use the company number and exact legal name. Review status, registered office, overdue filings, recent name changes and the recipient’s purpose. A client may say it needs “good standing” when the recipient actually wants articles, PSC evidence, a bank reference or a tax document. Clarify rather than upsell an irrelevant certificate.

Avoid guarantees and partner claims

An agent cannot guarantee a bank’s approval, embassy processing or foreign legal effect. Do not claim FCDO partnership or official endorsement unless current official terms expressly support the wording. Explain that official fees and agent fees are separate, and that courier, translation, certification and later legalisation can add cost.

Give the client an audit trail

Send the order reference, document title, issue date, company number, legalisation status and delivery tracking. Tell the client whether the final item is electronic or paper and preserve the original where verification matters. A transparent index makes it easier to correct a mismatch before the pack reaches an overseas reviewer.

Practical checklist

• Name the official document and issuing authority accurately.

• Verify the company number, status and recipient purpose.

• Separate official fees from service, courier and legalisation charges.

• Avoid promises about foreign acceptance, bank approval or processing time.

• Do not make unsupported FCDO partner claims.

• State the recipient freshness rule; about 90 days is common, not a guarantee.

Official fees and sources

Check the live GOV.UK guidance on ordering certified copies and certificates from Companies House before ordering. The current working figures for this batch are £22 for a standard Companies House certificate and £65 for a same-day certificate. These are official charges, not an agent’s full service price. Where legalisation is needed, the live GOV.UK document legalisation guidance lists £45 for a paper apostille, £35 for an e-Apostille, £40 for Next-Day and £100 for Urgent/Restricted Urgent where the relevant conditions apply. Certification, translation, courier, postage and any later embassy stage can be separate. UKCOGS does not claim FCDO partner status; use current official terms when describing any service.

Freshness is a recipient rule

There is no universal 90-day legal expiry for every Certificate of Good Standing. About 90 days is a common recipient habit, but a bank, authority, registrar or clerk may specify 30, 60, 180 days or a document issued after a particular filing. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature, seal or status; it does not refresh company information. Check the recipient’s written rule and the live Companies House record before presentation.

Questions to settle before payment

Ask the receiving organisation to confirm the exact document title, the legal entity, the maximum document age and the accepted delivery format. Ask whether it wants an original, a Companies House certified copy, a solicitor-certified copy or an electronic file. If the document will be used outside the UK, ask whether an apostille is enough or whether translation, embassy legalisation or local filing follows. Put the reply in the order file; a short written answer is more useful than an assumption based on a similar transaction. Also check the practical hand-offs: who will receive the certificate, whether a portal accepts the original electronic file, whether paper will be requested later and whether the courier address differs from the registered office. Keep tracking information and delivery confirmation with the final pack.

Keep the scope clear

A company certificate is one piece of evidence. It should not be described as a guarantee of incorporation history, ownership, financial health, tax compliance, authority to sign or permission to trade unless the document and recipient specifically establish that point. If a reviewer asks a question the certificate cannot answer, add the separate evidence it requests or obtain professional advice. Clear wording protects the client from relying on a document for a purpose it was never designed to meet.

Frequently asked questions

Can an agent issue a Companies House COGS?

The agent can arrange an order, but should not present its own document as the official certificate.

Can an agent guarantee bank acceptance?

No. The receiving bank makes its own decision.

Should service fees be described as official fees?

No. Keep Companies House, FCDO, courier and agent charges separate.

Can an agent call itself an FCDO partner?

Only if current official terms expressly support that exact claim; otherwise avoid it.

What should the client receive?

A clear order trail, the correct document, any legalisation evidence and delivery information.

UKCOGS can help coordinate the relevant document route. See the Certificate of Good Standing service, apostille and legalisation information, order page or request a quote. Service prices and delivery times are separate from official fees, and the receiving organisation makes its own decision.